Diaper Rash

What Causes Diaper Rash and What You Can Do

When your beautiful baby is born, her skin is often perfect in every way. It is softer and smoother than it will ever be again. You are dismayed when she wakes up and her bottom is red and irritated with diaper rash. What happened! What did you do wrong? Absolutely nothing!

All Babies Have Diaper Rash!

There are many misconceptions about a baby’s bottom:

It is supposed to be perfectly smooth and rash-free

Diaper rash is abnormal

Diaper rash is a sign of food or formula allergies

Diaper rash means the baby has bad diarrhea or a yeast infection

Having a diaper rash is a normal part of being a baby. There are many ways you can limit the amount of rash, but from time to time it will flare up again.

Why Babies Get Diaper Rash

Start with ultra sensitive skin, add the chemicals and moisture of urine and stools, cover the area with a diaper that rubs back and forth, and you have diaper rash. This damaged skin is susceptible to the invasion of bacteria and yeast, which can make the rash worse.

7 Ways to Minimize or Prevent Diaper Rash

If your baby does not have a problem with diaper rash, then you don’t need to be too strict with these preventative measures. However, if you are constantly battling rash, here are some helpful hints to minimize it:

1. Change Diapers Frequently

Change diapers at least every two hours in newborns. You can space this out as baby starts to urinate less often.

2. Change Poopy Diapers Right Away

This is a lot of trouble at first since newborns often have small, frequent stools. This will slow down as baby grows.

3. Try Different Brands

If using disposables, another brand may fit a little better and cause less friction.

4. Rinse Cloth Diapers

Add a half-cup of vinegar to the rinse cycle. This helps remove alkaline irritants. Your diaper service can also do this.

5. Wipe Well

Be sure to wipe all the stool and urine away.

6. Use Unscented Wipes or Just Plain Water

these are less irritating. You can even rinse out the wipes with water, although this takes more time.

7. Diaper Rash Cream

Some lucky babies don’t need any. More sensitive bottoms need cream with each new diaper. There are two basic types of barrier creams:

Petroleum ointment (Original A & D ointment) – this is an excellent preventative every-day ointment. It’s less sticky and less messy.

White zinc oxide – this is thicker and may be better for babies who are more prone to rash.

4 Ways to Treat Flare Ups

No matter how diligent you are with the above measures, your baby will still have a rash from time to time. Here are some tips to treating those rough spots:

1. Wash Off Bottom with Water

2. Gently dab or pat away any remaining stool.

Blot baby’s bottom dry.

3. Let it Air Out

Leave the diaper off for a while, with no diaper cream on. Lay baby on a towel (with a waterproof pad underneath to catch accidents) with her bottom up. Do this as often as you can. This will help dry out the rash, which is important for the healing process.

4. Diaper Creams

When you do put the diaper back on, use generous amounts of cream. Here are some suggestions:

Zinc oxide – for the moderate rash.

Acid mantle – this is a brand name sold in stores. It is outstanding for moderate diaper rashes. Can be used with zinc oxide over it.

Butt paste or Triple paste – there are a variety of creams that a pharmacist can mix up for you that contain a variety of ingredients. These are good for severe rashes. One brand that is already mixed is called Triple Paste. Ask your pharmacist for some. It is non-prescription.

Clotrimazole anti-fungal cream – for stubborn rashes, yeast may be involved (see below). You can add this over-the-counter cream to help.

Hydrocortisone 1% cream – you can put this over-the-counter cream on twice a day beneath any of the other creams to help with severe rashes. It will help with the inflammation. Don’t use this for more than several days at a time as long-term use can damage the sensitive skin in the diaper area.

Soothe and heal by Lansinoh. This pure lanolin ointment is excellent for soothing sore bottoms.

Mix your own – if you can’t get a prescription, try mixing these together in the palm of your hand, then apply to baby’s bottom:

Zinc oxide

White petroleum ointment

Acid mantle

Aluminum acetate (Burrow’s solution)

If you cant find Acid Mantle, then use Lansinoh (a lanolin ointment). It is available in the diaper cream section of drug stores.

Identifying Specific Diaper Rash

Here are a few diaper rashes that can be more than just irritation from the stool, urine, and diaper. They usually require more specific therapy:

When to Worry

None of the diaper rashes discussed here are so serious that they warrant an urgent call to your doctor in the evening or overnight. They generally can wait to be evaluated and treated by your doctor’s office the following day.

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About Ask Dr. Sears

AskDrSears.com is intended to help parents become better informed consumers of health care. The information presented in this site gives general advice on parenting and health care. Always consult your doctor for your individual needs. Learn More...

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